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browser hijack

I received a message on Safari 2 days ago which appeared to legit, I didn't know until now that it was a scam. Like an idiot I called the number because I know Macs are not prone to viruses and we've never had a problem. As I was freaking out, talking to this person, she was telling me exactly what to do. Same thing I've read on Apple... Hold down shift key, they double click Safari... When this happened another screen appeared and she asked me to type in the numbers she was giving... Bam ... she was controlling the mouse on my computer!!!!! So I've been scared to do anything since. Although it appears to free of any viruses, malware etc... Anyone else do the stupid thing I did??

MacBook Pro, iOS 8.4.1

Posted on Aug 29, 2015 2:55 PM

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Posted on Aug 29, 2015 2:59 PM

It was a scam. No telling what she loaded onto your computer when she had control. I would erase the drive and reinstall the operating system. Before doing so, disconnect from the Internet and back up your data if you do not already have a backup. If you stored passwords on your computer change all passwords for your online banking, email, etc.

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Aug 29, 2015 2:59 PM in response to smason84

It was a scam. No telling what she loaded onto your computer when she had control. I would erase the drive and reinstall the operating system. Before doing so, disconnect from the Internet and back up your data if you do not already have a backup. If you stored passwords on your computer change all passwords for your online banking, email, etc.

Aug 29, 2015 2:59 PM in response to smason84

Latest Safari versions address browser hijacking. Upgrade OS X to 10.10.5. These are phishing scams.


Remove Browser Pop-up Problems


Malwarebytes Anti-Malware 1.0.1.7

Adblock Plus 1.8.9, GlimmerBlocker, or AdBlock

Remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac

How to remove the FlashMall adware from OS X

Helpful Links Regarding Malware Problems


If you are having an immediate problem with ads popping up see The Safe Mac » Adware Removal Guide, remove adware that displays pop-up ads and graphics on your Mac, and MalwareBytes for Mac. If you require anti-virus protection Thomas Reed recommends using ClamXAV. (Thank you to Thomas Reed for this recommendation.) You might consider adding this Safari extensions: Adblock Plus 1.8.9.


Open Safari, select Preferences from the Safari menu. Click on Extensions icon in the toolbar. Disable all Extensions. If this stops your problem, then re-enable them one by one until the problem returns. Now remove that extension as it is causing the problem.


The following comes from user stevejobsfan0123. I have made minor changes to adapt to this presentation.


Fix Some Browser Pop-ups That Take Over Safari.


Common pop-ups include a message saying the government has seized your computer and you must pay to have it released (often called "Moneypak"), or a phony message saying that your computer has been infected, and you need to call a tech support number (sometimes claiming to be Apple) to get it resolved. First, understand that these pop-ups are not caused by a virus and your computer has not been affected. This "hijack" is limited to your web browser. Also understand that these messages are scams, so do not pay any money, call the listed number, or provide any personal information. This article will outline the solution to dismiss the pop-up.


Quit Safari


Usually, these pop-ups will not go away by either clicking "OK" or "Cancel." Furthermore, several menus in the menu bar may become disabled and show in gray, including the option to quit Safari. You will likely have to force quit Safari. To do this, press Command + option + esc, select Safari, and press Force Quit.


Relaunch Safari


If you relaunch Safari, the page will reopen. To prevent this from happening, hold down the 'Shift' key while opening Safari. This will prevent windows from the last time Safari was running from reopening.


This will not work in all cases. The shift key must be held at the right time, and in some cases, even if done correctly, the window reappears. In these circumstances, after force quitting Safari, turn off Wi-Fi or disconnect Ethernet, depending on how you connect to the Internet. Then relaunch Safari normally. It will try to reload the malicious webpage, but without a connection, it won't be able to. Navigate away from that page by entering a different URL, i.e. www.apple.com, and trying to load it. Now you can reconnect to the Internet, and the page you entered will appear rather than the malicious one.

Aug 29, 2015 3:14 PM in response to BobTheFisherman

Oh wow.... I felt like it was after the fact. She was trying to get me to agree to download something and that's when I said no and i ended the conversation. I ran the MalwareBytes for Mac and it removed the browser. mac seems to be operating normally and it had slowed down somewhat but after doing the Malware Bytes for Mac it's much faster.

browser hijack

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